IE49493B1 - Apparatus for treating calcined cypsum - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to apparatus for treating calcined gypsum, particularly for use in casting, such as for use in gypsum board manufacture and in making dried bagged industrial plasters for subsequent casting usage.

In automated gypsum board manufacture using continuously calcined gypsum stucco, a large portion of the processing time and energy is devoted to removing from the wet board the excess water required to fluidize the calcined gypsum in water and obtain proper flow of the slurry. Thus calcined gypsum made by continuous calcination may have a dispersed consistency of about 100-200 cc., for a water usage of 85-100 parts of water per 100 parts of the calcined gypsum. For purposes of the present invention, dispersed consistency may be defined as the water volume required to give a standard viscosity or flow when a standard amount by weight of stucco is dispersed by mechanical mixing in a laboratory mixer at high shear intensity and for a standard time to equal mixing encountered in the gypsum board forming line, e.g., 7 seconds, or an industrial plaster casting mixer, e.g., 60 seconds. While the dispersed consistency may thereby be expressed in a particular number, such number is variable from one processing line to the next depending ,5 on the particular stucco and the amount of flow for that stucco being most desirable for the particular processing line; and the value of this number resides in the relative 49403 improvement for that line and in the time of temperature rise set for the same gypsum source. Tenperature rise set and set suddenness for purposes of the present invention may be defined, respectively, as the particular time in which a particular calcined gypsum conpletes the exothermic reaction characteristic of hydration of stucco to gypsum; and as that portion of the exothermic stucco set time curve which exhibits the maximum rate of temperature rise. While defined times and temperatures may be given, it will also be appreciated that they are not comparable from one gypsum source to another or from one gypsum board production plant to another, and that only the relative changes in the time and the set time curve for a particular gypsum source are of value.

In U.S. Patent No. 4,117,070 there are described apparatus and processes for continuously treating calcined gypsum so as to lower the water demand and provide a treated gypsum mass which may be continuously fed into the slurry mixer of an automated gypsum board line. The treatment comprises thoroughly blending small amounts of water into the dry stucco, resulting in a damp but dry appearing material, and allowing it to heal before usage in gypsum board manufacture that is allowing the small amounts of free water to remain on the particle surface for 1-10 minutes while fractures on the particle fuse so as to resist subsequent disintegration into micron sized fractions on mixing with water for hydration. Material so produced is particularly suitable for immediate utilization in gypsum board manufacture; however, if such material is not used right away, the set suddenness of the material begins to vary erratically. Further, it has been found that board manufactured by such processes may be weaker than if untreated stucco were used in making the board. In European Patent Specification No. 0008947 there is disclosed a process which is an improvement over said patent by grinding the water treated material so as to increase the surface area of the particles generally up to about 4 times in order to recapture physical and rheological properties lost by the water treatment. Such requires that the automated line from calcination of the gypsum rock source to the formation of the board be modified by the addition of at least two pieces of equipment, the water blender and the grinder; and the addition of at least two separate operational steps. That Patent Application teaches a healing time between those two operational steps. It would be desirable to accomplish the same results, but with less added equipment, less added processing time, and in a simplified procedure. For exanple, for a full size plant operation, the elimination of either one of the two added pieces of equipment required could save a capitalization expense of perhaps a quarter of a million dollars.

The present invention provides apparatus for the treatment of calcined gypsum, the apparatus comprising a blender container, a rotor located in the top of the container on a centrally positioned shaft, a motor to rotate the rotor, at least one impactor pin on the outer periphery of the rotor, at least one entry port located in the top of the blender container and positioned relative to the rotor so that calcined gypsum passing through the entry port and into the container tends to pass along the rotor to meet the impactor pin and then be directed against the inside surface of the container, a water inlet located above the rotor and inwardly spaced from the container wall so a^ to direct a stream of water onto material passing from the entry port to the impactor pin, and an exit port for removal of wetted and ground material. This apparatus may be used to perform the calcined gypsum treatment of ΡατΕλτ Speciticfrrio/i No. 4949Λ Uhich Comprises conveying calcined gypsum to an impacting blender, blending it therein with from 1 to 10% of water by weight of the calcined gypsum and simultaneously or substantially simultaneously grinding it to increase the surface area of the calcined gypsum particles up to 4 times, and allowing the freshly exposed facets of the resulting calcined gypsum particles to heal.

The treated material may be dried for storage, or used directly in gypsum board production.

In apparatus according to the invention a plurality of impactor pins are preferably located 9493 on the top of the impactor container and project toward the rotor bottom plate. It is also preferred for rotor and pin to form a fan shaped propeller blade.

Laboratory scale pilot plant and plant full size trials indicated that the rapid water treatment concurrently with grinding to increase the surface area of the particles and redevelop stucco activity can be accomplished in one combined operation. The process involves the proper introduction of both water and stucco into an impact centrifugal mill.

Quite surprisingly grinding contemporaneously with water treatment without allowing a time interval between these steps for the particles to heal did not prevent recapture of physical and rheological properties. Water location, water flow rate, mill speed or particle impact speed, properly controlled can completely water treat the calcined gypsum and develop the necessary activity of the treated material for wallboard or other cast gypsum manufacture.

The advantages of rapid water addition and the step of regrinding can be accomplished in one combined operation in the same apparatus by modifying a centrifugal impact mill to introduce b The invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a typical centrifugal impacting mill of the impactor pin type modified in accordance with this invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are views along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1 and lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 respectively. A mill of this type, such as the ENTOLETER(t’+m '•’«^horizontal rotor mill illustrated in FIG. 1, generally comprises a feed chamber (11), grinding chamber (12), and product discharge chute (13).

In general operation, dry powdered material enters the apparatus through feed hopper (14) passing down feed chutes (15) of which two are illustrated in 49483 FIG. 1 to feed inlets (16) more clearly shown in FIG. 2 at the bottom of the feed chamber (11) area and the powdered material is dispersed onto the face of a spinning rotor (21) as more clearly shown in FIG. 3. ~ The spinning rotor is mounted on a shaft (31) connected to a source of drive not shown. The rotor (21) operates within a grinding chamber housing (12) having a target area (.34) and a conical discharge hopper (35) at variable speeds determined by the source of drive motor up to about 50,000 ft. (15,250m.) per minute. This standard mill is modified to have a water inlet line (23) , or a plurality of water inlet lines to provide water to impinge upon the calcined gypsum after it has left the feed inlet (16) and before the material is struck by the impactor pins (22) on the rotor (21). As more fully illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawing, a nozzle (36), to act as a water spray head, is attached to a 90° elbow (37), in turn connected to the water line (23). The water line is equipped with a flow meter (17) and flow regulator (18) and then connected to a source of water (not shown).

In operation, calcined gypsum fed through the feed chute inlets (16) moves by centrifugal force across the spinning rotor (21) and toward the impactor pins (22) located at the rotor periphery. The swirling mass of calcined gypsum moving across the rotor, between the top plate (32) and bottom plate (33) thereof, encounters the swirling spray of water from nozzle (36) which is • 4 9 493 moving by water pressure and centrifugal force towards the impactor pins (22). The impactor pins are moving at a high velocity and as the now water coated calcined gypsum particles are struck by the impactor pins there is a primary size reduction of the water coated calcined gypsum and a thorough intermingling of separate water droplet fragments and calcined gypsum fragments. Both of these materials, moving at the velocity imparted by the impactor pins (22) further blend together as they are hurled against a target area (34) on the grinding chamber bousing, during which final blending and mixing of the water and calcined gypsum occurs along with final particle size reduction. The processed material, still undergoing blending, spirals to the bottom of the conical discharge hopper (35) and out to conveyors and/or storage bins (not shown).

The controllable rotor speed determines: (a) the impact action of the water and the calcined gypsum against the impactor pins (22) and sidewall of the housing (34); (b) the degree of thoroughness in blending water and calcined gypsum; and (c) degree of particle size reduction. The speed of rotor (21) can be closely regulated to provide precise results on size reduction and water blending. The degree of blending of water and calcined gypsum is also variable by the rate of their individual feeds and to a degree by the location of the water injection nozzles (36) and their discharge pattern.

It is important that the water not be injected too far back from the impactor pins in order to avoid building up a wetted coating of mixed water and stucco on the rotor or the sidewalls. As a practical matter there may be some build up on the face of the rotor close to the shaft caused by eddy currents in the flowing materials For this reason it may be desired to mount the water injector nozzles (36) within the calcined gypsum feed chute inlet (16) or to have from 2 through 4, or more, separate water injection nozzles (36) each having very small orifices to shoot a number of narrow streams of water from close to the impactor pins. It is believed that using a fan type of nozzle shape or locating the water nozzle closer to the rotor shaft (31) would be dels trimental as likely to cause more build up of water coated calcined gypsum. Some of that coated gypsum from a fan nozzle could thus ball up, agglomerate into sticky masses, overcome the centrifugal force and stick to the rotor (21) In practice it has been found satisfactory to meter from about .31 to .51 tons (.52 Mg.) per hour of water through a single nozzle as shown in FIG. 3 onto a rotor operating at about 4,500 rpm and having 12 pins located in a single row around the periphery of a 27 in. (68.6cm.) diameter rotor while feeding 12.5 tons (12.7 Mg.) per hour of calcined gypsum to obtain treated gypsum containing the optimum 2-1/2 to 3-1/2% free water and surface area increase of about 2 times. This has a through put rate of about 430 lbs. (195 kg.) per minute.

Of course, higher feed rates of either the water or calcined gypsum or both can be provided by faster rotor speeds or using a rotor with more impactor pins. Additional pins can be provided by rotors having 2 or more rows of iirpactor pins or adding stationary pins on the housing to provide an intermeshing rotor having both stationary and rapidly moving impactor pins.

After the wetted and size reduced stucco leaves the impact mill, the material is allowed an approximately 1-10 or 2 to 10, and preferably 2 or 3-4 minutes, healing time prior to usage in formation of gypsum board or industrial bagged goods and the like.

If the material is to be stored for any appreciable period of time, or to overcome the eventuality of machine breakdown in the continuous production of gypsum board, the dry-appearing but moist calcined gypsum containing from about 1 to 10% of free water and a surface area increase from prior to treatment of 50 to 100 or 200% is dried by any convenient means before passage to a bin for storage or further processing equipment in the production of gypsum board or other calcined gypsum products. 43483 Example 1 In a first series of evaluations performed on laboratory scale equipment, aliquots of calcined gypsum were fed into a standard Alpine ULTRAPLEx(ftn°t Heft) cross 5 flow centrifugal impacting laboratory mill equipped with the standard Alpine vibratory dry solids feeder.

This mill was equipped with an 11.5 inch (29.2 cm.) in diameter rotor having 26 fins of 2-5/16 inches (5.87 cm.) by 4-5/16 inches (10.95 cm.) dimensions to form a fan beater rotor. The mill was modified to have an l/8th inch (0.32 cm.) copper tubing pass through the feed spout of the grinding chamber terminating in a Spray Systems TEE JET 11008 brand nozzle aimed at the center of the diameter of the fan beater and 2 ins. (5 cm.) from the beater. The other end of the water pipe was connected to a flow meter, flow regulator and a source of cold tap water.

In a first evaluation, a 10,000 gram charge of calcined gypsum feed having a surface area of 4,500 square centimeters per gram was fed to the mill via the vibrating bin over a period of 24 seconds without any water being fed through the water line. The fan beater was operated at a speed of 4545 rpm. The exiting stucco had been ground to a surface area of about 9,400 square centimeters per gram, which was the approximate expected 2 times or 100% increase in surface area based upon previous experience in feeding dry stucco through this unit with the rotor operating at various different speeds. Then a sample of the same stucco feed which had been separately water treated to blend in 3% of free moisture was fed in the same amount and rate through the unit. The exiting stucco, on analysis, had been gound to a surface area of about 9,400 square centimeters per gram; had a 7 second dispersed consistency of about 70 and 27% reduction in water demand. Maintaining the same motor speed and rate of feeding calcined gypsum, another 10,000 gram charge of the same stucco feed was fed through the mill while water was metered at the rate of 1,400 cubic centimeters per minute. The exiting stucco, on analysis, had adsorbed 2.4% of free water, had a 33% reduction in water demand; but had a surface area of 5,420 square centimeters per gram thus showing only a 20% increase in surface area in this attempt at simultaneous water treatment-grinding. Due to the lessened particle size reduction over what was expected, this sample was not evaluated further for possible utilization in the manufacture of gypsum board.

On a second evaluation, the water feed rate was adjusted to 1,105 cc. per minute, the mill speed was increased to 6,780 rpm, and a 10,000 gram charge of dry stucco having a surface area of 3,934 square centimeters per gram was fed through the unit over a period of 31 seconds. The material leaving the mill, on analysis, had a surface area of 6,500 square centimeters per gram 49483 for a 65% increase in surface area, contained about' 2.3% of free water, and had a 7 second dispersed consistency of 72 and a 26% reduction in water demand. This sample was further evaluated in a comparative example on a standardized miniature gypsum board line batch operation to evaluate proper full production size board mixing dispersion. For a comparative evaluation standard continuously produced calcined gypsum was run as a control and compared to the same material which had been rapidly water treated to obtain 3% free moisture, dried and then separately ground to 9,400 square centimeters per gram and to the material obtained according to this invention. The results of three runs 1, 2 and 3 according to the invention are set forth in Table 1; the results for the separately and the simultaneously water treated and ground materials are the average of duplicate samples.

TABLE I Treatment Untreated Control Sequential 1 water blend/ heal/grind 2 3 Original surface area, cm^/gm 3600 3593 3593 4500 3934 Treated surface area, cm2/gm 8884 6400 5420 4861 Stucco flow, grams/minute 24000 22900 19400 Water flow, grams/minute 720 800 1105 % Free Water Added 3 3 3.5 5.7 % Free Water on Sample 2.2 2.5 3.0 3.1 Properties Dispersed Consistency, cc: 7 second 132 73 72 65 65 60 second 182 90 94 % Reduced Water Demand 18 20 22 26 Set Suddenness, °F (°C)/minute 9.4 7.8 7.6 — 7.0 (5.2) (4.3) (4.2) — (3.9: Example 2 For a full sized plant simulated evaluation, a standard Entoletercentrifugal impact mill as shown in the drawing, having a 27 inch (68.6 cm.) diameter rotor containing 12 pins, or spindles, in a single row around the circumference of the rotor, was modified to place a 1/4 inch(0.64 cm.) standard pipe through the top of the grinding chamber housing midway between the feed inlets (16) as shown in Figure 2. The pipe terminated with a 90° elbow and pipe nipple as nozzle (36) just at the inner circumference of the rotor cover top plate (32) and was directed on a radius towards the outer circumference of the rotor and the impacting target area of housing (34). The quarter inch pipe was connected to a flow meter (17), water flow regulator (18) and a source of cold tap water. Calcined gypsum feed material was metered into the hopper (14) and feed chutes (15) via a screw conveyor equipped with a variable speed control.

On a continuous half hour run the inpact mill was operated at a rotor speed of 4,650 rpm while metering dry calcined gypsum having a surface area of 3,400 square centimeters per gram at a rate of 12.5 tons (12.7 Mg.) per hour; and metering water through the nipple at a flow rate of 1,350 lbs. (613 kg.) per hour. ' Theoretically this water rate should have introduced 5.4% of water by weight into the dry stucco; however, 48483 part of the water introduced into the grinding chamber at this high speed of impinging upon the spindles apparently becomes vaporized and becomes part of the discharge air which is now heavily moisture laden and does not interact with the calcined gypsum.

Thus, for this particular sample run on analysis, the material exiting the Entoleter mill contained 3.2% of free water and had a surface area of 9,735 square centimeters per gram (2.86 times surface area increase). This increase in surface area was much greater than expected from the evaluations set forth in Example 1 with the Alpine centrifugal impact mill and from prior dry grinding with the Entoleter centrifugal impact mill. Evaluations of properties for material at 3 different levels of free water are set forth in Table 2. It is noted that run Nos. 2 and 3 added water at the same rate yet in run No. 3 more of the water was retained on the sample. Apparently during the runs the system was becoming stabilized with regard to moisture saturation in the air within the system allowing for a more efficient water usage. Run Nos. 2 and 3 although not fully recapturing original strength, provided a material with fully satisfactory properties for gypsum board production.

TABLE 2 Treatment Untreated Control 1 2 3 Original surface area, cm2/gm 3400 3400 3400 3400 Treated surface area, cm^/gm 8970 9735 9735 Stucco flow tons (Mg)/hour 12.5 (12.7) 12.5 (12.7) 12.5 (12.7) Water flow, tons (Mg)/hour .34 (.35) .47 (.48) .47 (.48) % Free Water Added 2.7 3.8 3.8 % Free Water on Sample 1.8 2.76 3.2 Properties % Increased Surface area 164 186 186 Dispersed Consistency, cc: 7 second 142 67 67 60 second 192 89 85 83 % Reduced Water Demand 22 22 Machine Mixing: Stiffening, minutes 6 — 7 5-1/4 Set, minutes 13 — 15-1/4 14 Set Suddenness, °F (°C)/minutes 8.1 __ -- 7.7 (4.5) — — (4.3) Slurry Cube Strength: actual p.s.i 882 1760 1675 (kPa) (6076) — (12126)(11540) at 42 p.c.f. 793 -- 635 594 (673 kg.m3) density (5463) — (4375) (4093) % of normal 155 124 116 49483 For the above described treatment the calcined gypsum feed material may be any product of conventional batch or continuous calcination from any gypsum source, such as natural rock or that derived from chemical processes or blends of natural rock gypsum and chemical process gypsum. The treated material may be combined with conventional additives such as accelerators, retarders, fluidizing agents, mixtures thereof and the like in customary amounts for use in making gypsum wallboard or industrial plasters. For gypsum board manufacture the treated material will be passed ordinarily directly to the slurry board mixer. The treated material may optionally be dried as for storage stability ir. the manufacture of bagged industrial plaster good.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS :

1. Apparatus for processing calcined gypsum which comprises a blender container, a rotor located in the top of the container on a centrally positioned shaft, 5 a motor to rotate the rotor, at least one impactor pin on the outer periphery of the rotor, at least one entry port located in the top of the blender container and positioned relative to the rotor so that calcined gypsum passing through the entry port and into the ID container tends to pass along the rotor to meet the impactor pin and then be directed against the inside surface of the container, a water inlet located above the rotor and inwardly spaced from the container wall so as to direct a stream of water onto material passing 25 from the entry port to the impactor pin, and an exit port for removal of wetted and ground material.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the rotor has a bottom plate and a spaced apart top plate, the top plate being affixed to the rotor through the 20 impactor pin(s) and the top plate being spaced apart from the rotor shaft so that calcined gypsum and water may pass between the top plate and the bottom plate.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 in which a plurality of impactor pins are located on the top of 25 the impactor container and project toward the rotor bottom plate. 49483

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which rotor and pin form a fan shaped propeller blade.

5. Apparatus for treating calcined gypsum, the apparatus being substantially as hereinbefore described 5 in Example 1.

6. Apparatus for treating calcined gypsum, the apparatus being substantially as hereinbefore described in Example 2.

7. Apparatus for treating calcined gypsum, the

8. 10 apparatus being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.